I currently live in La Crete, AB. I was born in Bolivia in a Mennonite colony but immigrated to Canada when I was only a year old. Growing up in Northern Alberta I was an outsider culturally but I did not really feel like it was a bad thing - it was just the way it was. I learned English once I began attending school and really enjoyed my school experience. After high school, I felt I had no direction in my life, so I worked as a waitress for a year. I quickly realized that, although I did not know my plan for the future, I knew I didn’t want to be a waitress for long. After applying and getting into college, I eventually settled on a teaching degree. That way I knew what my job would be when I left school, and I have really enjoyed it.
My spiritual journey has been a bit slow. I grew up with a legalistic, works bound faith where salvation was never assured. I learned about the Bible and Jesus, but I never really understood why Jesus had to die; I thought it was to show the power of God when He rose again 3 days later. I read more than my share of Christian romance books where the heroine is downtrodden and faces difficult circumstances, but when she comes to faith and accepts Jesus as her Lord and Saviour, all her problems go away, and she lives happily ever after. So of course, I wanted that, but could not figure out how to get it. It was many years later, when I was 25, that I finally accepted Jesus as my Saviour, not to have a perfect life, but with a willingness to sacrifice mine to reconcile my life to His and to do His will.
I always wanted to be a part of missions, but I never felt a calling to a specific place. After years of waiting, wondering, researching, and feeling overwhelmed by options and cautionary tales, I connected with SEND. I was willing to go anywhere, and they sent me to Russia for one year (which turned into two years) to teach the children of a missionary family. While there, I was also able to teach at an English club, where I got to do outreach and was involved in international student ministry. I learned more about God and His love for all his people while being surrounded by other cultures and languages, and their desire to know Him more. His love truly knows no bounds and I desire to return to Russia and share that with others who have never known him. My desire is to walk with other faith-filled people to work together as the hands and feet of Christ, sharing the Good News with all who are searching.
